How to master stress quickly

When there are reasons for anxiety every day, the brain will not be able to avoid it for long. Being angry, afraid, wishing to crush everything around you is not weakness, but a normal reaction to an abnormal state of affairs.

You have to learn to survive emotional storms and move on. Imagine that you get into a thunderstorm high in a tree. It is better to get down on the ground to wait in safety. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm can come back again and again. But you already know what to do. So the same  is with stress – you need to know what to do. There are simple but effective exercises to control stress. We have already talked about some of them, and let’s talk about some some other ones now.

Exercise “Grounding”

This exercise will help you realize yourself here and now, when you are overwhelmed by difficult thoughts. “Grounding” can be done: at home, in a minibus or while standing in line at the cash register. The exercise consists of three actions.

First, you need to pay attention to how you feel now and what you are thinking about. Say it in your head.
Now try to slow down and connect with your body. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Exhale air completely from your lungs, and then slowly fill them again with a deep breath. Slowly press your feet to the floor. In the same way, smoothly extend your arms along your body or close your palms in front of you.
The last action is to redirect attention to the world around you. What 5 objects do you see? What 3-4 sounds do you hear? What smells do you smell? Say in your mind what and where you are doing now. Now touch your knee or some object nearby. Feel it, examine its texture, temperature.
Likewise, notice when negative thoughts appear. Do not forget to switch your attention to the real world around you.

Exercise “Get off the hook”

Sometimes difficult thoughts seem to hook you. Are you irritable, withdrawn, or just can’t get out of bed and start your day? It throws you off track for a while. Sometimes, for example, you communicate with friends. And here suddenly disturbing thoughts appear. You are no longer included in the conversation. Then you need to pay attention to the negative thoughts, feelings or physical discomfort that “snapped” you. As if to look at them and say: “Here are thoughts about the family”, “Here is fear of the future”, “Here is a painful memory of…”, “Here is anger”, “Here is heaviness in the chest”, “Here is pressure in the head”, etc.

To begin with, yes. But if you add the phrase “I pay attention”, then getting off the hook becomes even easier: “I pay attention to thoughts about the family”, “I pay attention to the fear of the future”, “I pay attention to a painful memory of…”, “I paying attention to anger”, “I pay attention to heaviness in the chest”, “I pay attention to pressure in the head”.

Fix it. Now you need to redirect your attention back to the situation. What’s up friends, what are we talking about? Get back to them. You have to try to fully immerse yourself in reality, in what you are doing now. This exercise helps to be the person you want to be and not harm your loved ones and yourself.

Learn to master stress!